A hybrid recommender systems based on weighted tags

Social tags in web 2.0 are becoming another important information source to describe the content of items as well as to profile users’ topic preferences. However, as arbitrary words given by users, tags contains a lot of noise such as tag synonym and semantic ambiguity a large number personal tags that only used by one user, which brings challenges to effectively use tags to make item recommendations. To solve these problems, this paper proposes to use a set of related tags along with their weights to represent semantic meaning of each tag for each user individually. A hybrid recommendation generation approaches that based on the weighted tags are proposed. We have conducted experiments using the real world dataset obtained from Amazon.com. The experimental results show that the proposed approaches outperform the other state of the art approaches.

A dynamic approach to forecast rental growth

Numerous econometric models have been proposed for forecasting property market performance, but limited success has been achieved in finding a reliable and consistent model to predict property market movements over a five to ten year timeframe. This research focuses on office rental growth forecasts and overviews many of the office rent models that have evolved over the past 20 years. A model by DiPasquale and Wheaton is selected for testing in the Brisbane, Australia office market. The adaptation of this study did not provide explanatory variables that could assist in developing a reliable, predictive model of office rental growth. In light of this result, the paper suggests a system dynamics framework that includes an econometric model based on historical data as well as user input guidance for the primary variables. The rent forecast outputs would be assessed having regard to market expectations and probability profiling undertaken for use in simulation exercises. The paper concludes with ideas for ongoing research.

The CARRS-Q advanced driving simulator

Overview of the CARRS-Q Simulators • CARRS-Q has two simulators: The Advanced Driving Simulator and a simpler “Desktop” simulator • Both use the same research grade simulation software SCANeR, produced by French company OKTAL • The Advanced Driving Simulator can integrate three aspects of simulation: – driving simulator – traffic simulator (links to AIMSUN) – control simulator

Integrated Acquisition Engineering Model for acquiring heavy engineering assets

In asset intensive industries such as mining, oil & gas, utilities etc. most of the capital expenditure happens on acquiring engineering assets. Process of acquiring assets is called as “Procurement” or “Acquisition”. An asset procurement decision should be taken in consideration with the installation, commissioning, operational, maintenance and disposal needs of an asset or spare. However, such cross-functional collaboration and communication does not appear to happen between engineering, maintenance, warehousing and procurement functions in many asset intensive industries. Acquisition planning and execution are two distinct parts of asset acquisition process. Acquisition planning or procurement planning is responsible for determining exactly what is required to be purchased. It is important that an asset acquisition decision is the result of cross-functional decision making process. An acquisition decision leads to a formal purchase order. Most costly asset decisions occur even before they are acquired. Therefore, acquisition decision should be an outcome of an integrated planning & decision making process. Asset intensive organizations both, Government and non Government in Australia spent AUD 102.5 Billion on asset acquisition in year 2008-09. There is widespread evidence of many assets and spare not being used or utilized and in the end are written off. This clearly shows that many organizations end up buying assets or spares which were not required or non-conforming to the needs of user functions. It is due the fact that strategic and software driven procurement process do not consider all the requirements from various functions within the organization which contribute to the operation and maintenance of the asset over its life cycle. There is a lot of research done on how to implement an effective procurement process. There are numerous software solutions available for executing a procurement process. However, not much research is done on how to arrive at a cross functional procurement planning process. It is also important to link procurement planning process to procurement execution process. This research will discuss ““Acquisition Engineering Model” (AEM) framework, which aims at assisting acquisition decision making based on various criteria to satisfy cross-functional organizational requirements. Acquisition Engineering Model (AEM) will consider inputs from corporate asset management strategy, production management, maintenance management, warehousing, finance and HSE. Therefore, it is essential that the multi-criteria driven acquisition planning process is carried out and its output is fed to the asset acquisition (procurement execution) process. An effective procurement decision making framework to perform acquisition planning which considers various functional criteria will be discussed in this paper.

Early osteogenic response of osteoprogenitor cells on modified titanium implant surfaces leads to improved osteogenesis

Background: Implant surface micro-roughness and hydrophilicity are known to improve the osteogenic differentiation potential of osteoprogenitor cells. This study was aimed to determine whether topographically and chemically modified titanium implant surfaces stimulate an initial osteogenic response in osteoprogenitor cells, which leads to their improved osteogenesis. ----- ----- Methods: Statistical analysis of microarray gene expression profiling data available from studies (at 72 hours) on sand-blasted, large grit acid etched (SLA) titanium surfaces was performed. Subsequently, human osteoprogenitor cells were cultured on SLActive (hydrophilic SLA), SLA and polished titanium surfaces for 24 hours, 3 days and 7 days. The expression of BMP2, BMP6, BMP2K, SP1, ACVR1, FZD6, WNT5A, PDLIM7, ITGB1, ITGA2, OCN, OPN, ALP and RUNX2 were studied using qPCR. ----- ----- Results: Several functional clusters related to osteogenesis were highlighted when genes showing statistically significant differences (from microarray data at 72 hours) in expression on SLA surface (compared with control surface) were analysed using DAVID (online tool). This indicates that differentiation begins very early in response to modified titanium surfaces. At 24 hours, ACVR1 (BMP pathway), FZD6 (Wnt pathway) and SP1 (TGF-β pathway) were significantly up-regulated in cultures on the SLActive surface compared to the other surfaces. WNT5A and ITGB1 also showed higher expression on the modified surfaces. Gene expression patterns on Day 3 and Day 7 did not reveal any significant differences.----- ----- Conclusion: These results suggest that the initial molecular response of osteoprogenitor cells to modified titanium surfaces may be responsible for an improved osteogenic response via the BMP and Wnt signalling pathways.

The politics of technology adoption : Water metering in Progressive Era Chicago

This paper examines the interactions between knowledge and power in the adoption of technologies central to municipal water supply plans, specifically investigating decisions in Progressive Era Chicago regarding water meters. The invention and introduction into use of the reliable water meter early in the Progressive Era allowed planners and engineers to gauge water use, and enabled communities willing to invest in the new infrastructure to allocate costs for provision of supply to consumers relative to use. In an era where efficiency was so prized and the role of technocratic expertise was increasing, Chicago’s continued failure to adopt metering (despite levels of per capita consumption nearly twice that of comparable cities and acknowledged levels of waste nearing half of system production) may indicate that the underlying characteristics of the city’s political system and its elite stymied the implementation of metering technologies as in Smith’s (1977) comparative study of nineteenth century armories. Perhaps, as with Flyvbjerg’s (1998) study of the city of Aalborg, the powerful know what they want and data will not interfere with their conclusions: if the data point to a solution other than what is desired, then it must be that the data are wrong. Alternatively, perhaps the technocrats failed adequately to communicate their findings in a language which the political elite could understand, with the failure lying in assumptions of scientific or technical literacy rather than with dissatisfaction in outcomes (Benveniste 1972). When examined through a historical institutionalist perspective, the case study of metering adoption lends itself to exploration of larger issues of knowledge and power in the planning process: what governs decisions regarding knowledge acquisition, how knowledge and power interact, whether the potential to improve knowledge leads to changes in action, and, whether the decision to overlook available knowledge has an impact on future decisions.

Phylogeographic reconstruction of a bacterial species with high levels of lateral gene transfer

Background Phylogeographic reconstruction of some bacterial populations is hindered by low diversity coupled with high levels of lateral gene transfer. A comparison of recombination levels and diversity at seven housekeeping genes for eleven bacterial species, most of which are commonly cited as having high levels of lateral gene transfer shows that the relative contributions of homologous recombination versus mutation for Burkholderia pseudomallei is over two times higher than for Streptococcus pneumoniae and is thus the highest value yet reported in bacteria. Despite the potential for homologous recombination to increase diversity, B. pseudomallei exhibits a relative lack of diversity at these loci. In these situations, whole genome genotyping of orthologous shared single nucleotide polymorphism loci, discovered using next generation sequencing technologies, can provide very large data sets capable of estimating core phylogenetic relationships. We compared and searched 43 whole genome sequences of B. pseudomallei and its closest relatives for single nucleotide polymorphisms in orthologous shared regions to use in phylogenetic reconstruction. Results Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of >14,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms yielded completely resolved trees for these 43 strains with high levels of statistical support. These results enable a better understanding of a separate analysis of population differentiation among >1,700 B. pseudomallei isolates as defined by sequence data from seven housekeeping genes. We analyzed this larger data set for population structure and allele sharing that can be attributed to lateral gene transfer. Our results suggest that despite an almost panmictic population, we can detect two distinct populations of B. pseudomallei that conform to biogeographic patterns found in many plant and animal species. That is, separation along Wallace's Line, a biogeographic boundary between Southeast Asia and Australia. Conclusion We describe an Australian origin for B. pseudomallei, characterized by a single introduction event into Southeast Asia during a recent glacial period, and variable levels of lateral gene transfer within populations. These patterns provide insights into mechanisms of genetic diversification in B. pseudomallei and its closest relatives, and provide a framework for integrating the traditionally separate fields of population genetics and phylogenetics for other bacterial species with high levels of lateral gene transfer.

Examination of process to develop a framework for better implementation of quality practices in building projects

Quality, as well as project success, in construction projects should be capable of being regarded as the fulfillment of expectation of those contributors and stakeholders involved in such projects. Although a significant amount of quality practices have been introduced within the industry, establishment and attainment of reasonable levels of quality internationally in construction projects continues to be an ongoing problem. To date, some investigation into the introduction and improvement of quality practices and stakeholder management in the construction industry has been accomplished independently, but so far no major studies have been completed that examine comprehensively how quality management practices that particularly concentrate on the stakeholders’ perspective of quality can be used to contribute to final project quality outcomes. This paper aims to examine the process for development of a framework for better involvement of stakeholders in quality planning and practices and subsequently to contribute to higher quality outcomes within construction projects. Through extensive literature review it highlights various perceptions of quality, categorizes quality issues with particular focus on benefits and shortcomings and also examines stakeholders’ viewpoint of project quality in order to promote the improvement of outcomes throughout a project’s lifecycle. It proposes a set of arranged information as a basis for development of prospective framework which ultimately aims to improve project quality outcomes. The subsequent framework that will be developed from this research will provide project managers and owners with the required information and strategic direction to achieve their own and their stakeholders’ targets for implementation of quality practices and achievement of high quality outcomes on their future projects.

From deep North to global governance exemplar : Fitzgerald's impact on the International Anti-corruption Movement

In pre-Fitzgerald Queensland, the existence of corruption was widely known but its extent and modes of operation were not fully evident. The Fitzgerald Report identified the need for reform of the structure, procedures and efficiency in public administration in Queensland. What was most striking in the Queensland reform process was that a new model for combating corruption had been developed. Rather than rely upon a single law and a single institution, existing institutions were strengthened and new institutions were instituted to create a set of mutually supporting and mutually checking institutions, agencies and laws that jointly sought to improve governmental standards and combat corruption. Some of the reforms were either unique to Queensland or very rare. One of the strengths of this approach was that it avoided creating a single overarching institution to fight corruption. There are many powerful opponents of reform. Influential institutions and individuals resist any interference with their privileges. In order to cause a mass exodus from an entrenched corruption system, a seminal event or defining process is needed to alter expectations and incentives that are sufficient to encourage significant numbers of individuals to desert the corruption system and assist the integrity system in exposing and destroying it. The Fitzgerald Inquiry was such an event. The article also briefly addresses methods for destroying national corruption system where they emerge and exist.

Replication of the Frank-Starling response in a Mock Circulation loop

Mock circulation loops (MCLs) are used to evaluate cardiovascular devices prior to in-vivo trials; however they lack the vital autoregulatory responses that occur in humans. This study aimed to develop and implement a left and right ventricular Frank-Starling response in a MCL. A proportional controller based on ventricular end diastolic volume was used to control the driving pressure of the MCL’s pneumatically operated ventricles. Ventricular pressure-volume loops and end systolic pressure-volume relationships were produced for a variety of healthy and pathological conditions and compared with human data to validate the simulated Frank-Starling response. The non-linear Frank-Starling response produced in this study successfully altered left and right ventricular contractility with changing preload and was validated with previously reported data. This improvement to an already detailed MCL has resulted in a test rig capable of further refining cardiovascular devices and reducing the number of in-vivo trials.

The probability archive : essence, uncertainty, and the ‘Olduvai imperative.’

Starting from a local problem with finding an archival clip on YouTube, this paper expands to consider the nature of archives in general. It considers the technological, communicative and philosophical characteristics of archives over three historical periods: 1) Modern ‘essence archives’ – museums and galleries organised around the concept of objectivity and realism; 2) Postmodern mediation archives – broadcast TV systems, which I argue were also ‘essence archives,’ albeit a transitional form; and 3) Network or ‘probability archives’ – YouTube and the internet, which are organised around the concept of probability. The paper goes on to argue the case for introducing quantum uncertainty and other aspects of probability theory into the humanities, in order to understand the way knowledge is collected, conserved, curated and communicated in the era of the internet. It is illustrated throughout by reference to the original technological 'affordance' – the Olduvai stone chopping tool.

Gap analysis of intrusion detection in smart grids

Given the recent emergence of the smart grid and smart grid related technologies, their security is a prime concern. Intrusion detection provides a second line of defense. However, conventional intrusion detection systems (IDSs) are unable to adequately address the unique requirements of the smart grid. This paper presents a gap analysis of contemporary IDSs from a smart grid perspective. This paper highlights the lack of adequate intrusion detection within the smart grid and discusses the limitations of current IDSs approaches. The gap analysis identifies current IDSs as being unsuited to smart grid application without significant changes to address smart grid specific requirements.

Car following model improvement for traffic safety metrics reproduction

Car Following models have a critical role in all microscopic traffic simulation models. Current microscopic simulation models are unable to mimic the unsafe behaviour of drivers as most are based on presumptions about the safe behaviour of drivers. Gipps model is a widely used car following model embedded in different micro-simulation models. This paper examines the Gipps car following model to investigate ways of improving the model for safety studies application. The paper puts forward some suggestions to modify the Gipps model to improve its capabilities to simulate unsafe vehicle movements (vehicles with safety indicators below critical thresholds). The result of the paper is one step forward to facilitate assessing and predicting safety at motorways using microscopic simulation. NGSIM as a rich source of vehicle trajectory data for a motorway is used to extract its relatively risky events. Short following headways and Time To Collision are used to assess critical safety event within traffic flow. The result shows that the modified proposed car following to a certain extent predicts the unsafe trajectories with smaller error values than the generic Gipps model.

Queue protection parameters’ fine-tuning for variable speed limits

Any incident on motorways potentially can be followed by secondary crashes. Rear-end crashes also could happen as a result of queue formation downstream of high speed platoons. To decrease the occurrence of secondary crashes and rear-end crashes, Variable Speed Limits (VSL) can be applied to protect queue formed downstream. This paper focuses on fine tuning the Queue Protection algorithm of VSL. Three performance indicators: activation time, deactivation time and number of false alarms are selected to optimise the Queue Protection algorithm. A calibrated microscopic traffic simulation model of Pacific Motorway in Brisbane is used for the optimisation. Performance of VSL during an incident and heavy congestion and the benefit of VSL will be presented in the paper.

Application of electrical resistivity method to detect deep cracks in unsaturated residual soil slope

Crack is a significant influential factor in soil slope that could leads to rainfall-induced slope instability. Existence of cracks at soil surface will decrease the shear strength and increase the hydraulic conductivity of soil slope. Although previous research has shown the effect of surface-cracks in soil stability, the influence of deep-cracks on soil stability is still unknown. The limited availability of deep crack data due to the difficulty of effective investigate methods could be one of the obstacles. Current technology in electrical resistivity can be used to detect deep-cracks in soil. This paper discusses deep cracks in unsaturated residual soil slopes in Indonesia using electrical resistivity method. The field investigation such as bore hole and SPT tests was carried out at multiple locations in the area where the electrical resistivity testing have been conducted. Subsequently, the results from bore-hole and SPT test were used to verify the results of the electrical resistivity test. This study demonstrates the benefits and limitations of the electrical resistivity in detecting deep-cracks in a residual soil slopes.